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About us!
Since October 1995, Vesta Stevenson and Terry Baker have been issuing an email newsletter for those ex Air Canada types who have provided us with their email addresses. The Newsletter was created by Vesta, who gave the name 'NetLetter' and added 'Between Ourselves' - a TCA periodical with which you are probably familiar with from the 50's and 60's. It was then changed to "Between Yourselves" to avoid confusion when "Horizons" resurrected the name. Then finally simplified to just "The NetLetter".
We believe that our NetLetter, which originates from Vancouver Island, was the FIRST to use this medium to disperse information for retirees of Air Canada.
The NetLetter contains airline related information such as anecdotes or stories supplied by some of the recipients, Internet tips, travel news, cheap... excuse me, "inexpensive" accommodations, tours, interline travel, and, in some small way, we help keep our Air Canada family together and in touch.
Our 'NetLetter' is NOT sponsored by any Pionair group, nor are we seeking any financial support, only the Internet email addresses of those who would like to receive our 'NetLetter'. Please forward this to other retirees who can then subscribe right from the forwarded link at the bottom of this email.
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Sponsors
ACFamily Services
Donations
Air Canada Heritage Poster
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Dear NetLetter,
Important reminder, For all new articles, submissions and comments or to just get in touch with either the Editor/Pilot (Vesta) or Co-Pilot (Terry) our email address is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We now estimate that the NetLetter is read by over 2721 retirees when counting our email distribution and those that print the NetLetter and give them out to their friends.
To make changes to your e-mail address or to unsubscribe, please see the links at the bottom of the page for "Update Profile/Email address" and SafeUnsubscribe. This is now automated so that you can remove yourself from the list or change your email address (or name) without our assistance. We will still do this manually if you have any difficulties.
Many of our members are having difficulty finding these links. You will need to scroll to the bottom of the page, the link is similar to the following image. (The image below doesn't work but your links at the bottom will).
Vesta, Terry and Alan thank you for your co- operation.
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Need to know...
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 It's peak travel season - plan your trip well! Peak summer travel days can make contingent travel a challenge, particularly to and from our European destinations. To simplify your holiday experience, it is recommended that you take extra precautions, such as carefully checking the loads of the departure and return, and buying tickets on other carriers before leaving home. You can save time by checking in for your flight before leaving for the airport.
Use the Express Check-in kiosks or, whenever possible, Air Canada's Web Check-in service, available for travel within Canada, all flights departing Canada, from 18 U.S. and six International cities: London, Paris, Tel Aviv, Bermuda, Nassau and Bridgetown. Once you've printed your boarding card - which you can now do through the Web up to 24 hours before your flight - proceed directly to baggage drop-off upon arrival at the airport. Also, do not list yourself on more than one flight, as the standby passenger list is automatically transferred from one flight to the other.
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Nice to know...
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Pionairs have announced that you are now eligible for a discount on Duty Free goods when you are ON BOARD an Air Canada flight with Duty Free service.
Duty-free is available on all international flights, and on selected flights to and from Mexico, the Caribbean, and Hawaii.
Yes, a further 20 Per Cent Discount can be yours on top of the Regular Low Prices on ALL items.
Sale begins July 03rd, 2006 for a Limited Time ONLY. Some Details have to be Followed. Please Read below
20% Employee Discount - Duty-Free Air Canada Marketing would like to implement a 20% discount to all Air Canada employees on all duty-free merchandise in-flight, subject to quantities available in-flight.
Effective date: - July 03rd , 2006 for a limited time only
Who is eligible: - All ACE/Air Canada employees travelling on duty- free flights, including operating crew and retirees. All ACE employees including Jazz, Aeroplan, ACV, ACTS, e-commerce, ACGH and Cargo employees and Retirees. Excludes spouses, immediate family members and eligible travel partners, and former employees who are eligible for AC travel but who do not hold an AC ID card
Eligible flights: Duty-free is available on all international flights, and on selected flights to and from Mexico, the Caribbean, and Hawaii. Unfortunately, due to space constraints, duty-free is not available on Air Canada's A319, A320 and A321 aircraft.
On-board process: AC employee ID card mandatory and is to be shown to the In-Charge when purchasing Purchases to be made with credit card only Credit card must be in the employee's name and match AC employee ID Crew discount button on the In-charge's hand- held device will automatically calculate employee discount Discretion must be used by employee in-flight as a courtesy to other customers.
Combining Promotions: This 20% employee discount cannot be combined with any other duty- free sale/promotion that may be implemented in future.
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Air Canada News
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Travel Policy - There were no significant changes to employee travel policy. There are no plans to widen the base of partner or non-dependent children unaccompanied travel or to increase the number of accompanied partner passes. There is a policy revision to child dependency, with the dependent child under 25 no longer required to be a student. Also, you can no longer change to or from a C1J10 pass less than 24 hours prior to travel. There will be some enhancements to the Employee Travel Website in 2006, to include Interline (Interline World etc), AC Vacations and Hotel discounts.
Employee Services Contact Information - Since early June, Air Canada's Personnel, Human Resources and Pension and Estates office functions have been outsourced to Hewitt and Associates. To contact Air Canada about any services formerly handled by these Departments for retirees in North America you must use the Employee Services contacts listed below. These services may include, but are not limited to, Address Changes, Pension Questions, Medical and Benefit Questions, Name Changes, Death Advice, and Marital Status Changes.
Phone service is available from Monday to Friday. 9.00 to 17.00 for all time zones.
Phone: 1-877-645-5000
Fax: 1-866-207-8636
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Postal address: Employee Services
P.O.Box 7650, Stn B
Toronto, ON, M2K 3B5
Postal Address for US residents:
Employee Services
401 North Tryon Street, Dept. 100
P.O.Box 563983
Charlotte, NC, 28256-3983
More routes inaugurated this weekend: Toronto-Shanghai and Montreal-Mexico.
On Saturday, June 17th., we launched our inaugural flight from Toronto to Shanghai, the first-ever direct link between the two cities. In addition, the departure Saturday of flight AC 995 marked the inaugural of non-stop daily service linking Montreal and its extensive eastern Canada network, with the Mexican capital. Flights will be operated using 120- seat Airbus A319 aircraft offering a choice of Executive Class and Economy service. The addition of Montreal-Mexico City daily non-stop service complements our twice-daily, year-round, non-stop, flights from Toronto. We also serve Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and Ixtapa.
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Reader Feedback
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John D. Gallagher sends us a suggestion that works! For those of us who need help reading the small print, this works. Place your cursor on the written words. Hold down the CTRL key while rotating the middle wheel on mouse. The size of the words will increase or decrease. Also works with MS Word.
A reader wants to know:
Subject: Lancaster history
Date: Saturday, June 10, 2006 6:12 PM
That brief article was interesting. I joined TCA in 1953,I had heard of the Lancasters in the company, but i had no idea we had lost one in the Atlantic. do you know if it was lost with all hands? do you know if there was an investigation? I wonder where i could get more information?
The newsletter was interesting and newsy. Thank you. Trev 91193
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Terry's Travel Tips
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Ann Senko passes us this information - A friend of mine is visiting from Australia and has just in India on her own and hired this driver/guide, she wonders if anyone might be interested in hiring him he can be contacted at the following email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. he is based in Delhi. Also she is a part time tour guide in Australia and lives in Cairns and is happy to help anyone who may be visiting. Her email address is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Jenny is a friend of mine and used to work for Ansett as a F/A so is well versed in what airline people like to do and how we love bargains.
Great News! StarTrips is the Employee Travel website of the Star Alliance. Launched on May 14th, the site is experiencing over 70,000 page views a day, with more than 100 employees and retirees from within the Star Alliance family signing up.
The retiree community at Air Canada, can log on (password protected) and view some great travel deals combined with member carrier information as posted by the Communication Directors at each member carrier.
Retirees can view thousands of properties at world class resorts like the Hilton Bali, Kempinski St. Moritz, and Warwick properties in Paris.
www.StarTrips.com
the travel website for Star Alliance member carrier employees.
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Smilies
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 Ozzie Candy sends this - with tongue in cheek!
The New Air Canada
Attendant: Welcome aboard Air Canada Sir. May I see your ticket?
Passenger: Sure.
Attendant: You're in seat 12B. That will be $5, please!
Passenger: What for?
Attendant: For telling you where to sit.
Passenger: But I already knew where to sit.
Attendant: Nevertheless, we are now charging a seat-locator fee of $5.
It's the airline's new policy.
Passenger: That's the craziest thing I ever heard. I won't pay it.
Attendant: Sir, do you want a seat on this flight, or not?
Passenger: Yes, yes. All right, I'll pay. But the airline is going to hear about this.
Attendant: Thank you. My goodness, your carry-on bag looks heavy. Would you like me to stow it in the overhead compartment for you?
Passenger: That would be swell, thanks.
Attendant: No problem (grunts). Up we go, and done! That will be $10, please
Passenger: What?
Attendant: The airline now charges a $10 carry-on assistance fee.
Passenger: This is extortion. I won't stand for it.
Attendant: Actually, you're right - you can't stand. You need to sit, and fasten your seat belt. We're about to push back from the gate. But first I need that $10.
Passenger: No way.
Attendant: Sir, if you don't comply, I will be forced to call the air marshal. And you really don't want me to do that.
Passenger: Why not? Is he going to shoot me?
Attendant: No, but there's a $50 air-marshal hailing fee.
Passenger: Oh, all right, here -- take the $10 I can't believe this.
Attendant: Thank you for your cooperation, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you?
Passenger: Yes. It's stuffy in here, and my air vent doesn't seem to work. Can you fix it?
Attendant: Your air vent is not broken, sir. Just insert two quarters into the overhead coin slot for the first five minutes.
Passenger: The airline is charging me for cabin air?
Attendant: Of course not, sir. Stagnant cabin air is provided free of charge It's the circulating air that costs 50 cents.
Passenger: I don't have any quarters. Can you make change for a dollar?
Attendant: Certainly, sir! Here you go!
Passenger: But you've given me only three quarters for my dollar.
Attendant: Yes, there's a change-making fee of 25 cents.
Passenger: For cryin' out loud. All I have left is a lousy quarter?
Whatever will I do with it?
Attendant: Hang onto it. You'll need it later for the lavatory
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AC Heritage Poster
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Enjoy this visual display of Air Canada’s historic fleet from its beginning in 1937 to the present including aircraft from:
- Trans-Canada Airlines
- Canadian Airlines
- Pacific Western
- Eastern Provincial
- Nordair
- Transair
and Wardair
This 68 x 96 cm (27 x 38 inch) poster is printed in full colour on high quality paper and depicts over 300 aircraft and liveries flown by Air Canada throughout its history.
The cost of the poster is $24.99 plus tax and shipping where applicable. This is a great gift for reunions, retirements and birthday gifts, etc.
A donation is made to Dreams Take Flight for each poster that is sold.
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More info here |
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Submissions
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Important reminder, for all new articles, submissions and or comments for the "The Netletter" please send to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Please add to your Address Books).
This e-mail address has been set up so that both of us Terry & Vesta (exclusively) will get an automatic copy and so we can keep up with the continuity of news for the NetLetter.
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NetLetter Archives
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The archives of the NetLetter are kept on the ACFamily Network Forums area. They are in plain text format so you can print them from there if desired. If you are not a member of the ACFamily Network yet, we encourage you to join us there. Non members can Register here. (It's Free!)
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NetLetter Archives Link |
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